I guess it didn't occur to Dr. Zapf that people like flight attendants, sales personnel, and call center operators might be getting depressed because they have crummy, high-stress jobs.

I am highly envious of his name, though. From now on, just call me "Dr. Dieter Zapf."

I know that our workplace offers free counseling...

Maybe they knew we'd get depressed. I can attest to it though. Although, I'm less depressed from having to sound peppy all the time (which is really just annoying)...and more depressed about what I have to deal with on the phone...death, injuries...etc. Plus, it's very repetetive. You literally say the same thing over & over again all day long.

I'm with Big Gary on this one. How could you possibly control this study? Maybe find flight attendants and sales clerks who act as surly as they feel?

Every time I make a fake emoticon on the web, it chips away at my soul little by little.

😊

I'm going off to weep uncontrollably over the sham that is my life!!

"How could you possibly control this study? Maybe find flight attendants and sales clerks who act as surly as they feel?"

Try the unemployment office for a good source of these. Or, based on my last (and I do mean LAST) experiences with them, Continental Airlines employees.

I only type lol if I actually lol...

Hmm... I've read reports on studies sugesting that smiling makes you feel better and pulling miserable faces makes you miserable (such as the Eye and I art/science project (links to .pdf file) written up in New Scientist.

I'd agree that the biggest problem is likely to be that all the jobs cited seem to be shitty jobs per se. OTOH, I can easily believe that real fake-smilery could be pretty depressing - though maybe it would not be so bad if you could 'fake' a 'genuine' smile (like the actors in the Eye and I project). Would be difficult to test, though:)

Yes, you're absolutely right: "fake happy workers" are definitely more an American phenomenon than a European one. This is because for Europeans, and the Germans above all, fake friendliness goes totally against the grain. Which in turn explains why the study was done by a German professor: now they have PROOF that it's bad.

So I don't think customer service in Europe is gonna change any time soon. Next time some American tourist complains about their surly waiter, the Germans will just reply that being friendly to customers is bad for their health.

Well, I am one of those fake, happy, smiley call center workers they are talking about and I am currently on meds for depression. Since I am a supervisor, I get the worst of the worst and in may cases it is customer stupidity that causes the problem and the get mad at us due to their idiocy. Example: They want a product exchanged under warranty because they left it on the car bumper and it fell off and broke as they drove down the street. We have to be courteous and respectful no matter how nasty the cust gets. There really are times that I want to say "Your stupid, shut up and go get a life". Sadly, I cannot.

I TOTALLY AGREE! I WORKED AS A RECEPTIONIST WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG AND LATER BECAME A CALL CENTER CUSTOMER SERVICE REP. I LOOKED THE PART THEY WANTED WHEN I WAS A RECEPTIONIST AND I PUT ON THAT BIG HAPPY SMILE AND WAS UPBEAT ALL THE TIME. WHEN I WAS IN THE CALL CENTER I PUT UP WITH ABUSE DAILY. I WAS YELLED AT, CURSED, PEOPLE WOULD CALL DRUNK, PEOPLE WOULD MAKE SEXUAL COMMENTS TO ME, AND MOST OF ALL THEY WERE RUDE, TACTLESS, STUPID PEOPLE THAT WANTED TO UNLEASH THEIR EMOTIONS ON ME, BECAUSE THEIR LIFE WAS BAD. THEY WERE HAVING A BAD DAY SO THEY TRIED TO MAKE OTHERS HAVE ONE TOO AND I COULD NOT DO A DAMN THING ABOUT IT EXCEPT TAKE THE ABUSE TIME AND TIME AGAIN. EVERYDAY ALL DAY! THE CUSTOMERS ARE ALWAYS RIGHT IS A BUNCH OF SHIT WHEN IT COMES TO THESE TYPES OF PEOPLE! I GET SO SICK OF PEOPLE WHINNING ABOUT THEIR PROBLEMS! I WANTED TO TELL THESE PEOPLE TO SHUT THE F*** UP AND I COULDN'T BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE RUDE RIGHT OR YOU WOULD LOSE YOUR JOB RIGHT. I WENT IN TO A DEEP DEPRESSION AND I PERSONALLY HAVE NOT RECOVERED. NOT TO MENTION WE HAVE OUR OWN DAMN PROBLEMS TO FACE EACH DAY.. I HAVE ALOT OF ANGER PROBLEMS AS YOU CAN TELL AND WANT TO ISOLATE MYSELF AT TIMES!. I REMEMBER MY BOSS TOLD ME TO FAKE IT UNTIL I MAKE IT! FAKE WHAT... THAT I DON'T FEEL LIKE STRANGLING THESE PEOPLE ON THE PHONE... KINDA HARD...ACT LIKE YOUR HAPPY WHEN YOUR REALLY NOT... COME ON WHO IN THE HELL ARE YOU? WE ARE TAUGHT TO BE SO DAMN FAKE AND I WAS ONE...LET'S PRETEND WAS WHEN WE WERE CHILDREN..NOT ADULTS...WE ARE IN THE REAL WORLD NOW, WHICH REALLY SUCKS. I AM SEEKING HELP FOR MY DEPRESSION AND HERE TO SAY UNLESS YOU HAVE WORKED IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY YOU WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE SPIT UPON DAILY.

I APOLOGIZE IF I HAVE BEEN TO BLUNT, BUT HEY THAT IS WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW IN MY LIFE AND IT'S ABOUT TIME TO BE REAL FOR ONCE! TAKE CARE 😊

Why are you shouting?

I used to work in an IT department of me and three more developing a web system using php and mysql. There was an unwritten rule that people should always go with the flow and laugh when the rest were laughing. Often to normal things which was not funny at all. This wore me down and I really hate when people are constantly laughing on the phone or whatever. I had a colleague who could not make a single phone call without laughing fakely. Good that there's at least one website which brings about this topic. I wish it would become common sense for everyone that peoples' happiness should come from within, since that's what really makes us feel good. Fake laugh is probably a substitute for an interesting life.

Oh my goodness. That's what I do the most...
NONE of my smiles are real (hardly)
And I'm trying to be nice to people that I don't know.

From now on I won't. I'll be this horrible, stone, boring person that secretely wants to not be there. Because that's my true feelings
Sheeesh...
That's one article that changed MY life.

I hate American fake smiles, they are soooo unreal and fake..... why don't you be upset and genuine instead? Don't say "Have a nice day" if you mean "Get Lost", just say "Get The Fuck Out Of Here!".

That's the beauty of it though. Being able to convey "go fuck yourself" while really saying "have a nice day!" is an art form.

Hi all,

I have to concede that there is some truth in the study revelation that fake Smiles may cause depression. When you are not showing what you really felt, that could affect both your health and your mental state as well. This can lead to depression. If you want to know more about depression and its treatments, you can visit http://www.pillwatch.com/theme/depression.html. I have found this site to be very useful personally.

Coming back to our topic, I would like to say one more thing. Smiling is a way to show that we like some other's company or you are happy to serve somebody. In some occasions, smiling is customary, like for example, when you are with your friends and somebody says a joke and everybody else smiles. By not smiling on such occasions, you are insulting others actually. This could affect your relationship with others. So, my view is not to smile unnecessarily than completely eliminate fake smiles from one's way of behaving.

Thanks.

Yeah Georgio is right, you Americans got some fucking problems! What's up with fake smiles anyway? Almost in every damn photo you smile so wide that one can almost see your wisdom teeth! Is that Beautiful? No. Do I care that you can afford to buy a ''Hollywood smile''? No at all. In fact it makes me wanna punch you right in your stupid face.

Yeah, i am agree with your saying. i was working with call center outsourcing company their when i used to keep big smile on my face to attend all the customer. really it was very difficult, when i was upset though i have to keep fake smile to make customer happy.

People Please BE REAL !!!! When YOU smile be HAPPY! When You want to cry! CRY !!!! MAY GOD BLESS YOU AMERICA !!!

I've worked for several ears as waiter and haven't notice that fake smiles causes depression.Flight attendants, sales personnel and call center operators get a lot of stress,that's how it may be explained.I wish to everyone to smile properly!P.S if you have depression visit 24drug.com

haha at anti-jodi

That makes for a great talking point.
I do understand that concept,because as you are fake smiling,what other thoughts are running through your Mind???Depending on thoughts attached to them there is an emotion and feeling about the situation.In my experience the more you do this,the more it imprint's,this pattern ,to the deepest part of the mind,and the only way to change this is better question with in your own self talk,and to change your beliefs,towards it.I is simple what the heart feels the mind will see..at mindmotivations.com,the programs there allow the deepest part of the mind to be accessed and the issues to be resolved,naturally and easily.

having to show good humor to a customer doesn't disturb me... sometimes you will get an irate or obnoxious caller and you have to pretend that you are happy and smiley and all, but that's just you being a front for some company. Nothing prevents you from thinking whatever you want in the privacy of your own mind. If you take things people say personally, though, when their frustrations are usually directed at the company or the situation, and not you, that can take a toll. If you can't realize that they are not speaking to you, but to 'the company', then there's no reason that keeping the smile on should hurt you psychologically. And I don't think saying what's really on your mind will keep you the job. What will hurt you more, fake smiles or unemployment?